WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WEIGHT-LOSS OPS
ANEW year often triggers resolutions to slim down. Some folks even opt for surgery to fix their weight woes just like some celebrities, including Today’s Al Roker, comedian Roseanne Barr, American Idol alum Randy Jackson and former daytime gabber Rosie O’Donnell. But experts warn to go slow and consider the facts!
The two most common bariatric procedures are gastric bypass, which routes food to a small stomach pouch and then directly into the small intestine, and sleeve gastrectomy, which removes 80 percent of the stomach.
Roker dropped more than 100 pounds after his gastric bypass in 2002 — but also admitted his reconstructed bowel caused him to poop his pants at the White House!
Physicians caution bariatric patients need to carefully track what they eat — to ensure proper nutrition — and monitor the size of their meals because the surgeries restrict the amount of food the body can handle.
Experts say people undergoing the procedures can expect to lose up to 80 percent of their excess flab in the first year, which can improve their stamina and may resolve obesity-related conditions, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
But they also note the laparoscopic surgeries — which are performed by inserting instruments through small incisions in the upper abdomen — carry risks for infection, blood clots and adverse reactions to anesthesia.
And while the operations are sometimes covered by medical insurance, docs warn the removal of sagging skin caused by sudden weight loss is often not!